Clamping device for automobile bumpers



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- 11,519,399 R. iB. FAGEOL I CLAMPING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILE BUMPERS Filednpril 1o, 1925 2 sheets-Sheet 1 V W) w Fil m 23 s Q f v `-nu 53@ s \\4 igxwlrllllllllll a m l/IVVENTO .y ROLL/EB. FASE A '7' TORNE YS.

um., 16.1924- 1,519,399 I R. B. FAGEOL K GL'AMPING-DEVICE'KFOR AUTOMOBILE BUMPERS Fild April lO, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /N VEN TOR.

ATTQRNEYS.

nou/s a. FA aeoLf Patented Dec. 1e, 1924.

1,519,399 PATENT OFFICE.

BOLLE B. FAG-EOL, 0F OAKLANI'), CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 AltIERICAlfl'4 CHAIN COM- IPANY, INC.,I OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATIQN 0F NEW YORK.

CLAMPING DEVICE non Ap'roMoBILn BUMP-Ens.

Application ined Ap'rii 1o, 1923. Vserial No. 631,677.

o all.. 11i/i011?. t may concern:

Be it known that L--RoLLIE BAGEOL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, county of Alameda, and State of Caliv fornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clamping Devices for Automobile Bumpers, of which the following 1s a specification. This invention relates to automobile bumpers and particularly pertains to clamps therefor.

At the present time certain types of autovmobile, bumpers vaire made with overlapping parts 'which'it is necessary to clamp adjustably 4together while holding said parts 1n parallel planes andv in longitudinal alignment; this ,being particularly true of bumpers having brackets provided with portions lying flush with the bumper impact bar and with their faces abutting, and also true of bumpers having impact bars made of overlapping strips of flat steel ofvvarious conigurations. `In each event it is necessary to provide a simple and effective clampingL means for the various parts.

It is also desirable to embellish the clamping members so as to add finish to the bumper, and this is'often done by` forming designs on the bumper clamp in contrasting colors, said design of necessity being applied in an expensive hand operation.

It is the principal object olt the present invention to provide a clamp for the purpose labove, designated, which will readily lend itself to color combinations in the design ol" the clamp, while at the salue ,time producing -a clamp which willhave great strength, a

` positive clamping action andllieing further desirable in that the clamp may be inexpensively manufactured and applied to the bumper. Y

The present invention contemplates the use ofa pair of main clamping plates adapted to be disposed on opposite sides .Ofcom tiguous bars to be clamped, said plates being supplemented by one or more stencil -plate's which may be finished in various colors and which, when superposed, will form designs in the contrasting colors of the said plates; the entire structure being held and clamped together by bolts pass-ing througlnall the plates and holding them in clamped positions upon the opposite sides of the bars.

The invention isillustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in

which: A

Fig. 1 is a view in frontelevation showing a bumper barf'of a type having an increased impactfarea-across its center, said bar being formed-'bytwo overlapping bar members of flat stock which lie in parallel. planes and are clamped together by clamps with which the present invention is particularly concerned. V I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View infront elevation showing one of the clamps for the overlapping bumper bars.- l r g l lFig. 3 is a. 4view in transverse section through the clamp and bar', as viewed on the line 3-3 of F ig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a' schematic drawing showing the' various elements of the cla-mp with which in proper order relative .to each other and with the .various parts separatedl toishow the manner of. assembly. l.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates an automobilel bumper, here shown as' formed by complementary bumper bars lll and 12. These .bars over lap each other, 'anda clamp 13 is rovided adjacent to the overlapping end o each yof the bars. This clamp is intended to grip the overlapping portions of the bars and to hold the bars against any movement relative to each other. 7

The bumper shown in the drawing is provided with an increased 'central impact area, although it will be understood that the present invention is applicable for use when two bars or a bar and bracket are clamped together while lyingr in parallell planes, and that theclamp will maintain the clamped member in rigid alignment while also preventing longitudinal movement.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, it will be seen that each of the clamps is provided with a back clamping plate 14 and affront clamping unit 15. The unit 15 is here shown as comprising three separate members-afront clamping plate '16, a faceplate 17 and a filler 18-the clamping plate the rear clamping plate 14 are formed from vwidth, although this width is of necessity greater thanthe width of themembers be' clamped.

in `he face plate 17 'is a stamping made from thin gauge metal'which may be. stencilled out to form any'desired design and may also'be convenientlv nickel-plated, or otherwise finished as desired.

As shown in Fig. '2 the face plate is formed with a triangular shaped, central opening 19 disposed between circular por- .tions 20 and 21 which provide bearing faces for the headv of clamping bolts 22. The space around the triangular, central design and the-clamping faces 20 and 21 is cut away to disclose the underlying surface of the front clamping plate 16. It is, therefore, desirable to finish thefront face ofthe plate 16 in a contrasting color to the color of the face plate 17.

The `front clamping` plate 16 is lalso out` away in the' present instance, having a central, triangular hole 23 and a pair of square holes-24 and 25 punched therethrough. The holes 24 and 25 register with similar square holes in the face plate and receive the squared Shanks of the bolts 22. The triangular hole in the clamping plate 16 registers with the triangular opening 19 in the face' plate, thus permitting a triangular'field ot the filler 18 to show through openings 19 4'and 23. This field on the ller may be finished in a color contrasting to -that of the face plate and the disclosed face portion of the front clamping plate 1G-as it appears through the stenciled portions ofthe face plate.

The ller 18 may be a stamping or forg ing formed at its opposite ends with fianges' 28. These flanges partially bridge the space between the clamping plates 14 and 16 and tend to give the impression that the clamping structure completely embraces` theclamped bars. These flanges terminate with shoulders extending across the edges of the clamp bars and thus tend to yhold the entire structure in alignment transversely of the bars.

The rear clamping plate 14 is formed with two circular Iopenings for receiving the round portion of thel bolts 22 which pass therethrough and a're engaged by nuts 29. Lock washers 30 are interposed between the nuts 29 and the plate'14.

In .assembling the clamping device and The through squared openings in ytheclampi'ng plate. I n this manner these two platesl and 17 will be held in positive register.v .The

filler 18 is then positioned on the-bolts with its flanged portions 28 extending rearwardly.' This assembled unit 15 may then be placed against the outer face of one'ofthe ,bars to be clamped and with the flanged portions 28 extending transversely of the edges of the twobars to be clamped, thus tending to hold the front clamping unit 15in its Vproper position relative to the bars. The

back clamping plate 14 may. then be applied to the bolts, after which the nuts and lock j washers are used indrawing the bolts tight and hold them.

It will thus be seen that'by the arrangement here disclosed an effective and positive clamping device is provided for rigidly securing two bars against movement relative to each other, while the clamping device is held in a fixed position relative to the bars being clamped, and that in addition the clamping device may be given embellish- Ain theart, without departing from the lspirit of theinvention as claimed.

Having thus described my'invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: y 1: AAdevice for securing two members in fixed relation to each other, comprising a c lamping plate, an intermediate filler p resting against the face of one of the members and embracing the opposite edges thereof, a second clamping plate resting against the face of the other member, and means for securing all of said members in clamping positions.

2. A clamping device for holding a pair of overlapping members in fixed relation 4to each other, comprising a filler block embracing the overlapping members and a pair ot clamping plates secured upon opposite sides of the liller block and the overlapping members.

A clamping'device for holdin a pair of overlapping members in fixed re ation to each other, comprising a filler block embracing the overlapping members, and a pair of clamping pla-tes secured upon opposite sides l of the filler block and the overlapping members, one of said clamping plates being stencilled to o'rm a design in conjunction with the, disclosed portion of the filler block.

4. A clamping device for holding a pair of overlapping members in fixed relation to each other, comprising a filler block embracmenue ing the overlapping members, a pair of clamping' plates secured upon opposite sides of the fller block and theoverlepping members, one of said clamping plates beingt sten- 5 cilled to form a design n conjunction with the disclosed portion of tlle'ller block, enel a stencilled faoe plate disposed over said. clamping plate.

5. A clamping` device for securing a pail" 10' of fiel; bumper bars in overlappingfelation to each other oomprisi'ng e filler block tending rensverssey alle of one bei* and having.: poy'onss flvs oppoeze l3etween which the semis und by which iz-hey lle-l u ,.of-udlnal eign- -15 ment, and e da? Heling efmevez'sely o ille le' o stencil plaffe plat@ beek o posed upon o weging limone 

